An Internet user employs an application, such as a web browser, to access various web sites. The web browser communicates a universal resource locater (URL) request to a server, the server retrieves content from a content provider based on the requested URL, and delivers the content to the web browser. The content may be sourced from a single source, or be an amalgamation of data from multiple sources.
In certain situations, content may include shared content. The shared content may be provided from the content provider. Alternatively, a third-party provider, such as an online shared content network may provide shared content to be included with content displayed on a web browser.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the shared content, various techniques may be employed, such as determining the Internet users with the highest likelihood of clicking-through the shared content. If non-germane shared content is provided to the Internet user, the Internet user may not click-through the shared content. Other metrics may be employed to determine if shared content is germane to the user.
Various techniques may be employed to ensure that the shared content served to the Internet user is germane. For example, if the Internet user is viewing content related to sports, a shared content provider may serve shared content related to the purchase of sporting goods.
Alternatively, data associated with the Internet user's web browser may be employed as well to retrieve germane shared content. Web browsers include a cookie. A cookie is a file that records previously visited web sites by the web browser. Thus, the cookie may be viewed as a key to viewing the Internet user's activity associated with a server.
A server, a content provider, or an online shared content network may employ the cookie to serve germane shared content to the Internet user. For example, if the cookie indicates that the web browser accessed a popular retail web site, the online shared content network may serve shared content related to products related to the popular retail web site.
The online shared content network may determine aspects about an Internet user based on the cookie. For example, the online shared content network may determine user preferences and interests associated with the Internet user based on data gleaned from the cookie.
Online social networks may store information about the Internet user, and use this information to serve shared content to the Internet user. For example, the Internet user may indicate certain attributes or preferences about themselves, such as interests, sex, beliefs, or other information that aids in the shared content being selected to be served to the Internet user.
Various other techniques may also be employed that are closely related to analyzing the Internet user's behavior. For example, an online shared content network may employ search terms or keywords entered by the Internet user to selected shared content to be served to the Internet user. Additionally, a social network may contain information about how the various users of the social network communicate and interact with each other.
A third-party may be interested in measuring the effectiveness of the shared content. By measuring the effectiveness of the shared content, an online shared content network may serve the Internet user shared content that will be clicked-through.
In measuring the effectiveness of the shared content, several metrics may be employed. For example, a server measuring the effectiveness of the shared content may monitor a unique number of Internet users who access the server. Alternatively, the server may record the frequency of views for a specific shared content item. Or the server may determine the effectiveness of the shared content by the number of Internet users who click-through the shared content.
Due to the fragmented nature of information, various aspects about the user may be distinctly located at various sources, such as various social networks or other web sites. A cookie may also contain information for more than one user. Thus, serving shared content, while measuring the shared content's effectiveness may be difficult.